It’s a bit like spam in your brain. Tries to entice you to move away from your purpose. Away from the truth. Away from stillness and silence.

Doubt is thoughts that question and analyse and compare and judge. And these skills on their own or together, are useful at times. But when they go round and round with no conclusion, and when they take up a lot of time, when they keep you awake, then they are not helpful.

And there are consequences of the mind spending time doubting, such as the body getting tired, the mind getting tired and unable to think clearly, the body getting tense (maybe unwell), and you missing out on something you might otherwise enjoy.

Questioning, analysing, comparing and judging are cognitive skills that enable us to make decisions. So when they work together simultaneously and smoothly, all is well.

But when you doubt the process and even doubt the decision, once made, all is not well.

Everyone doubts at times but some of us doubt more than others. Why is this?

Because there is something underlying the doubt. A pattern has been set up early in life, usually as a way to try and be safe by avoiding emotions. A developing belief in one’s own incompetence.

Maybe you were not supported to feel emotions. Maybe emotions were denied. Maybe the only thing you could do to avoid emotions was to be in your head, thinking. Trying to work out how to keep out of the line of fire. Being vigilant and thinking ahead, preparing and anticipating possible situations where you might be put on the spot to make a decision.

And rumbling along underneath all this is fear. Fear of getting it wrong, fear of being judged, fear of feeling a fool, fear of letting people down, fear of letting yourself down, fear of…………………….

I am one of these people with a strong pattern of doubting thoughts. Buying an article of clothing takes ages and may be avoided. Even after purchasing, I doubt it’s the right thing.

And yet sometimes I can make a decision immediately with no doubt. There may be doubt later but also running, is a guiding sense that it’s the right action to take. Oh, for it to be like this all the time!